TCC Awarded $35 Million Grant to Bring Broadband to Rural Alaskan Villages

The Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) was awarded a $35 million grant to install affordable, reliable high-speed fiber broadband in the three underserved TCC village communities of Venetie, Chalkyitsik, and Circle (AK). The project is part of the Alaska FiberOptic Project, which is a larger collaboration between Calista Corporation; Doyon, Limited; Gana-A ‘Yoo Limited; Tanana Chiefs Conference; and Alaska Communications to connect more than 20 communities in the Yukon and Kuskokwim regions, beginning in Fairbanks and extending to the Bering Sea Coast. The terrestrial fiber network will begin in Fort Yukon and extend to Venetie. Submarine fiber cable will be placed in the Yukon River to connect Fort Yukon and Circle. Residents and businesses will receive gigabit speeds through a fiber-to-the-home connection. The five companies recognize that access to high-speed internet puts access to resources in the hands of rural Alaskans. The Alaska Fiber-Optic Project will bridge the digital divide for many rural communities, providing access to virtual meetings, online classes, telehealth, and online jobs, putting access to resources in the hands of rural Alaskans—all without having to compromise their village way of life.